For several years now women have been seeing corsets becoming more and more popular. Why? For two reasons: #1. Its now considered to be sexual fun-ware. #2. It is the standard garb for goths, and the increasing popularity of goth culture is therefore increasing the popularity of corsets.

But what about this other antiquated piece of "fashion"? If you can even call Chastity Belts "fashion"...?

Chastity belts have been around for centuries. Possibly even millenias. It is unknown for certain which culture actually invented the things because they could have been around for much longer but simply not recorded in the scant history of those times.

The premise of the belts are simple: Stick your significant other (female or male) in this belt, fasten the lock, take away the key... and presumably your loved one will stay chaste until you return to unlock it. The practice was condoned by the Catholic church because infidelity was considered a sin and usually any woman caught cheating was killed anyway. A man caught cheating usually got away with it.

Even today that is undeniably true. Bill Clinton being a prime example. The United States is used to infidelity however. Almost every adult in America has cheated on a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past, and I would wager that a majority has cheated on their spouses, thus leading to America's huge divorce rate.

But what about the chastity belt as a fashion symbol? Well, if we take corsets as the model and assume that chastity belts will become at least one QUARTER as possible as corsets within the next 10 years. Currently one in thirty adults in the United States between the age of 18 and 35 is a goth. About 65% of those goths own corsets (please note that about 80% of goths are women). And a good portion of non-goth women also own corsets as either fetish-wear or as actual fashion pieces they wear regularly.

Many corporate goths actually have a selection of corsets they wear regularly. Corsets are expensive and thus a high paying executive job helps to pay for these costly pieces of fashion.

So lets assume that based upon that 65% of goths that own corsets now that by the year 2013 about 16% of goths will own chastity belts.

Of course these chastity belts won't actually be worn all the time. They are fetish-wear. Something to wear with the corset when going out to a goth club... or right before sex as a method of teasing your significant other until they find the key...

But here's the weird factors.

Goth girls as young as 12 have started saving up their money & buying corsets. Its the image factor. In North America's thin-obsessed culture with fatty junk food and sleazy ads from McDonalds, corsets are seen as a way to "appear thin" even to girls at an obscenely young age. Not to mention the damage that a too-tight corset could do to their growing bodies, this obsession with thinness is dangerous to their mental health. A corset-dependency could develop, similar to girls who develop a puke reflex after meals.

This incredible rise of corsets mark a backlash to certain feminist ideas and raising up other feminist ideas. The backlash being the objectifying of the female body but with the benefits being an increase in female sexual freedom.

The movies have jumped on the bandwagon too. The Pirates of the Caribbean movie due out Summer 2003 for example boasts a line "Do you think that hurts? Try wearing a corset!!"

Of course many corsets don't actually hurt, provided they are worn properly.

And the same goes for chastity belts, depending on the type. The hard leather chastity belts are relatively comfortable considering what it is meant for. There are even fur-lined chastity belts for ultra comfortability. Its the harsh metal and stainless steel belts that dig into your skin.

All for the price of looking kinky and forbidden. Not to mention a hefty sum of cash. Check out the following list of websites to see what the cost of chastity belts go for these days:

"Chastity belts prevent penetration but can't do a thing about orgasm control. This means that chastity play is difficult, but it still possible to get pregnant...

Many female chastity belts are bought by the women themselves for the purpose of self-protection. That's not to say it isn't fun to belt your woman up. If you do, it's important to remember a couple of safety tips.

The belt should be removed during menstruation. Lots of toxic things can happen to a woman if that blood doesn't drain fully.

It needs to come off weekly for cleaning.

Other than that, it's the same as for guys. Access Denied makes an excellent female chastity belt that is comfortable and is built to allow her to perform normal bodily functions.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it), most women can learn to orgasm by stimulating breasts or other body areas, so the belt won't keep her from coming. However, it still feels cool to wear and sends the unmistakable message that he or she who has the keys is the boss."